Van der Valk Reveals Full 30m Project NEXO Crossover Design

Van der Valk Shipyard has released the full design of its 30-metre Project NEXO crossover yacht, developed with Dutch design studio Phathom. The 14 October 2026 announcement follows an initial preview at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September and adds detailed concepts for flexible living spaces, a two-level beach club and an adaptable foredeck.

NEXO remains a concept intended to start conversations with prospective owners rather than an under-construction vessel or a new delivery. The yard calls it a fully customisable point of departure for clients who value a close connection between accommodation and the water.

From September teaser to detailed concept

Van der Valk first discussed NEXO publicly in September, describing an owner-focused design developed with Phathom. The new October presentation provides the first extensive explanation of the layout and the specific moving elements intended to change how spaces can be used.

The project is named for New Experience X-Over, or Crossover, and remains at the design stage. No firm order, hull construction date, launch or performance trial is claimed in the yard's announcement.

A two-level stern beach club

The aft portion of the concept is arranged around a dual-level beach club with a central hot tub and terraces that open out towards the sea. A hydraulic platform is intended to extend the connection between the yacht and the waterline.

Beneath the outer deck, the design incorporates concealed storage for a tender and water toys. Engineering those elements on an actual custom build would require careful attention to water ingress, access for service and safe operation in different sea conditions.

A foredeck that can change purpose

Van der Valk describes a liftable bow platform that can be arranged for sunbathing, fitness activities or outdoor cinema use with an elevated screen. The approach allows one piece of deck to support more than one type of leisure activity.

Any moving platform would require structural design, locking systems and safe operating procedures appropriate to its size and location. The concept presentation does not establish final machinery specifications or the results of load testing on a delivered vessel.

Sliding bar and rotating seating

The main salon is intended to open aft and along both sides to join the outer deck areas. On the port side, a moving bar can change position, while a rotating starboard sofa extends the seating arrangement towards an exterior terrace.

Flexible interiors can help a 30-metre yacht adapt to entertaining and quieter use without dedicating entire rooms to a single purpose. In practical construction, furniture movement and deck openings must also work with safety, drainage and climate-control requirements.

An owner's suite focused on the sea

The concept positions a full-beam owner's suite forward, with an integrated bathroom and a deliberate visual relationship to the water. The upper-deck lounge is presented as another configurable room, suitable for dining, exercise or spa activities.

Such choices reflect the yard's stated emphasis on wellbeing as a property of the entire architecture rather than a single onboard amenity. Prospective owners would still need to review privacy, crew access and acoustic separation before finalising a custom layout.

Materials and atmosphere

Stone, linen, leather and planting are among the proposed materials and design features. The studio uses natural textures and open sightlines as part of a restrained interior language intended to make a yacht feel connected to its marine surroundings.

Selecting those finishes for a seaworthy vessel raises practical questions about weight, maintenance, humidity resistance and fire performance. Every proposed material must eventually be specified for the location and operating conditions in which it will be installed.

What the concept leaves undecided

The release presents spatial and experiential ideas rather than a completed technical specification. Van der Valk has not published a signed owner contract, measured range, fuel-use curve or date for a first NEXO handover in the announcement.

It would therefore be misleading to treat renderings as photographs of a launched yacht. Buyers interested in developing the design would need a complete naval-architecture package, equipment selections, regulatory review and contractual build programme.

A route to an individual commission

Van der Valk states that Project NEXO is not a conventional standard production model and invites owners to explore it as a starting point for a custom yacht. The yard's approach is to adapt a proposed design to the client's eventual requirements.

The next newsworthy stage would be a confirmed commission or a materially revised design accompanied by official specifications. For now, the October unveiling is a substantial design disclosure in the 30-metre superyacht segment.